Female belly fat related to depression

:tebyan.net

2012/05/23

1485

Recently release research reveals that in women depression is associated with the accumulation of visceral fat -- belly fat.

“Our results suggest that central adiposity - which is commonly called belly fat - is an important pathway by which depression contributes to the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” said Dr. Lynda Powell, the study"s principal investigator at Rush University in Chicago.
“In our study, depressive symptoms were clearly related to deposits of visceral fat, which is the type of fat involved in disease,” she explained.

She pointed out that depression triggers the accumulation of visceral fat by creating chemical changes in the body - like the production of cortisol and inflammatory compounds.

A total of 409 middle-aged women were the subjects of the medical research.

Visceral fat is considered to be dangerous since it actually surrounds organs such as the liver and kidneys. It may increase blood sugar levels and cause chronic inflammation, both of which can contribute to heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

Fat deep inside the abdomen can be spotted with MRIs and CT scans.

According to doctors, 30 minutes of daily physical activity can help in the reduction of visceral fat levels.

The study appears online and will be published in the May issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

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Feeding and Diet